Golf club grip and marker

ABSTRACT

A resilient golf club handle grip having a socket at its outer end for removably holding a spiked marker disk. The side wall of the socket resiliently grips the disk and the spike is resiliently gripped in a hole in the bottom wall of the socket. Diametrically opposite notches in the side wall allow a person&#39;&#39;s thumb and finger to engage the edge of the disk for axial removal of the marker.

United States Patent [191 Taylor Dec. 18, 1973 GOLF CLUB GRIP AND MARKER [75] lnventor: James H. Taylor, Barberton, Ohio 73] Assignee: The Kosar Gulf Development Laboratory, lnc., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio [22] Filed: Apr. 26, 1972 [2]] App]. No.: 247,790

152 vs. Cl. 273/162 0, 273/81 R 51 1 Int. Cl A63b 53/00 58 Field of Search 273/32 R, 32 A, 32 B,

273/32 D, 73 .l, 75, 81 A, 81 R, 162 R, 162 A-162 F; 40/22, 317

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.709.546 4/1929 Stanton 273/162 C 2.178.872 11/1939 Engstrom.... 273/162 D 2,261,959 11/1941 Buttikofer... 273/162 D 2.700.547 1/1955 Kraeling 273/32 A X Pruitt 273/162 D FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,043,683 9/1966 Great Britain 273/162 D 912,515 12/1962 Great Britain.... 273/162 D 251,612 5/1964 Australia 273/81 R Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Apleyl Richard J. AttorneyHamilton, Renner & Kenner 57 1 ABSTRACT A resilient golf club handle grip having a socket at its outer end for removably holding a spiked marker disk. The side wall of the socket resiliently grips the disk and the spike is resiliently gripped in a hole in the bottom wall of the socket. Diametrically opposite notches in the side wall allow a persons thumb and finger to engage the edge of the disk for axial removal of the marker.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDBEc 18 1975 1 GOLF CLUB GRIP AND MARKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A number of prior constructions have provided means for removably holding a marker disk in the butt end of a golf club handle grip but none of which I am aware has been fully satisfactory. Certain constructions, in the prior art rely upon a magnet to hold a disk marker in a socket, but when the club is dropped upside down in a golf bag the marker is frequently jarred loose, and if a stronger magnet is used it is difficult to remove the disk by tilting the disk to free it from the magnet.

Another prior art reference shows a disk held in a resilient socket in the end of a handle grip, the socket having a lip overhanging the edge of the disk with a notch on one side for sliding the disk out laterally. A spring or magnet engages the bottom of the disk to restrain the lateral movement. This construction required considerable pressure by the thumb or finger to frictionally slide the disk laterally and overcome the restraining force of the spring or magnet. Further, the construction is limited to a flat disk marker, and it is well known that a disk marker with a depending spike is much preferred, as the spike anchors the marker in the ground against accidental displacement when used on a golf green.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved golf club handle grip and marker construction which will overcome the disadvantages of prior constructions, and which is simple and inexpensive to make.

Another object is to provide an improved construction which will retain a spiked disk marker against accidental removal when the club is dropped or jarred in an upside down position, and yet the marker is easily removed in an axial direction by punching the disk between the thumb and finger when desired.

A further object is to provide an improved construction which does not require the use of a spring or magnet to hold the marker firmly in the socket of the handle grip.

These and other objects are accomplished by the improvements comprising the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the following specification. Various modifications in details of construction are comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly broken away showing a" preferred embodiment of the improved handle grip and marker applied to the handle portion of a metal golf club shaft.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the butt end.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 12 of the grip which receives and holds the spiked marker indicated as a whole at 13.

The butt end of grip 10 has formed therein a substantially circular socket 14 for receiving the disk-shaped head 15 of a marker having a preferably pointed spike 16 depending axially from its underside and passing through a hole in the butt end wall. The marker may be made of wood, metal, plastic, or any suitable material.

On diametrically opposite sides of the socket 14 are arcuate recesses 17 intersecting opposite portions of the socket and extending diametrically outward to the outer edges of the handle grip, and preferably extending slightly below the bottom wall 18 of the socket. The recesses 17 are of sufficient size to readily receive the thumb and finger of a person to grip the opposite edges of the disk head 15 of the marker for removing it axially outward from the socket 14.

Preferably, the bottom of the disk is flat for planar abutment with the flat bottom wall of the socket, and the side wall of the disk is beveled downwardly inward to the bottom, as at 19, to provide an undercut portion enhancing the grip of the thumb and provide an undercut portion enhancing the grip of the thumb and finger on the edge of the disk. The top of the disk may be slightly rounded, as shown, to conform to the butt end of the handle grip 10.

The circular socket 14 is molded slightly smaller in diame er n Q19.231!QLQQ19HID3I than the outer diameter of the disk 15, so that when the disk is pressed into the socket, it is resiliently gripped by the side wall of the socket. Additionally the hole 20 in the butt end wall 12 of the handle grip is also made slightly smaller in diameter than the spike 15, so that the spike is resiliently gripped by the end wall. Thus, jarring the club in an upside down position, as by dropping it into a golf bag, will not cause the marker to fall out.

In use, the playerwishing to mark the position of his ball on a green merely inserts his thumb and finger into the recesses 17 and grips the opposite edges of the marker disk 15, whereupon the marker is quickly and easily axially removed from the socket 14. The marker is easily replaced by inserting the spike 15 into the hole 20 at the bottom of the socket and pressing the disk into the socket.

The improved golf club grip and marker is simple and inexpensive to construct, easy to use, and attractive in appearance. In addition, no spring or magnet is required.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined golf club handle grip and detachable marker comprising a resilient tubular handle grip having walls forming an axial socket in its butt end, a marker disk positioned flatwise in the bottom of said socket at right angles to its axis with its outer edge resiliently engaged in said socket walls, said butt end having laterally extending recesses intersecting opposite sides of said socket to receive a persons thumb and finger for gripping the edge of said marker disk to remove the same flatwise from the socket, the edge of said marker disk having a beveled undercut, and said recesses extending below the bottom of said socket.

2. A combined golf club handle grip and detachable marker as in claim 1, in which the marker disk has a depending axial spike and the bottom wall of the socket has a hole receiving and resiliently engaging said spike.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 779,559 Dated December 18, 1973 Inven-tor(s) James H. Taylor It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Title page, column 1, line 3, "Gulf" should read Golf"; line 5,. after -"Ohio", add an undivided one-half interest.

7 Column 1, line 39, "punching" should read "pinching". Column 2, lines 22 and 23, delete "and provide an undercut portion enhancing .the grip of the thumb" signed and sealed this-"30th day of July 1974. 1

(SEAL) Attest:

{MCCOY M. GIBSON, JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 80376P69 n lmm comet: nu o-au-au.

FORM PC4050 (IO-69) 

1. A combined golf club handle grip and detachable marker comprising a resilient tubular handle grip having walls forming an axial socket in its butt end, a marker disk positioned flatwise in the bottom of said socket at right angles to its axis with its outer edge resiliently engaged in said socket walls, said butt end having laterally extending recesses intersecting opposite sides of said socket to receive a person''s thumb and finger for gripping the edge of said marker disk to remove the same flatwise from the socket, the edge of said marker disk having a beveled undercut, and said recesses extending below the bottom of said socket.
 2. A combined golf club handle grip and detachable marker as in claim 1, in which the marker disk has a depending axial spike and the bottom wall of the socket has a hole receiving and resiliently engaging said spike. 